


change my mind

by nitorisource



Series: ☂ SouMako Week ☂ [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Fluff, M/M, Pro-Bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-20
Updated: 2014-10-20
Packaged: 2018-02-21 20:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2481884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nitorisource/pseuds/nitorisource
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sousuke has agreed to coach two aspiring pro-benders. Unfortunately for him, he underestimates his young apprentice. Fortunately for him, there is a healer around.</p><p>Day 6: Sight / <b>Touch</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	change my mind

**Author's Note:**

> going out of order for soumako week;;;; also this is v late HA

“C’mon, Ren, keep your hands up,” Sousuke says gruffly, easily sidestepping the little boy’s weakly thrown disc. “Don’t stop throwing. Get used to the pace.”

“Y-yes, coach!” he says hastily, doing as he’s told and dishing out three additional coins in quick succession. They’re still a little slow, but the last one catches on one of the discs Sousuke has drawn up for defense and they shatter in his face.

“Ugh, guh - good one, Ren,” he coughs out,  trying to dismiss the cloud of debris. From the sidelines, Ran’s giddy laughter reaches both their ears but before Sousuke can bark out a warning that he won’t be going easy on her during their next sparring match, he’s hit straight in the chest by not one, but two, of Ren’s attacks.

He blown back the force of Ren’s suddenly very confident strike and skids across the arena stage on his back for a few feet while pieces of dirt and dust cloud the way his face contorts with pain. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to hide the very loud and very colorful string of profanity that leaves his grit teeth, which is what leaves both children speechless and frozen in place.

He’s still clutching at his chest by the time the dust settles, and by then he hears the doors to the stadium open along with Makoto’s cheery, then suddenly horrified, voice calling out, “I got the drinks for everyone, so - Ren, why are - is that Sousuke on the floor?!”

“Big brother!” Ran shrieks. “You’ll never believe what Sousuke just said!” Makoto quickly makes his way down the stairs and towards the edges of the audience stands. He draws up enough water from the pool below to give him a means to cross the distance from the seats to the arena.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, eyes still on Sousuke as he slides onto the metal canvas. “Is he hurt? Sousuke, are you--”

“Brother, brother, he said _‘holy shitting mercy, son of a fu--’_ ”

Sousuke wishes he was unconscious. He can feel a part of his soul trying to leave his body.

“Ran, oh my god! Don’t repeat what he said!” Makoto says frantically, scooping the child in his arms and clapping a hand over her mouth, which is strangely smug despite the language that has just left it. He sets her down once she reaches Sousuke, who is still struggling to get up but the tightness in his chest doesn’t allow him for much breathing.

“Ah - ah, big brother,” Ren blubbers, running to his side as Makoto sets Ran down. “I’m sorry, I hurt coach Sousuke! I accidentally hit him there. I hit him twice - you’ll help him, right? Is he going to be okay? I’m so sorry, coach!” The poor boy kneels down beside Sousuke as though he’s lamenting over the body of a soldier fallen in war and his little fists clench in the fabric of Sousuke’s shirt as fat tears roll down his cheeks.

“Ren, hey - hey, it’s fine, no need to cry. Sousuke, you’re fine, right?” Makoto asks in a pinched voice.

“Yeah, I’m doing just fu--I mean, I’m great,” he wheezes, laying back down against the floor with a thud of his head. “Just great.”

“Are you sure, coach?” Ran moves to the other side of Sousuke and leans over his face with a dubious expression on hers. “Are you going to start crying like Rin-Rin? You’re best friends, right?”

“I don’t cry like Rin,” Sousuke spits out, but he lets out another groan of pain at the way he tries to sit up.

“Ah, how about you just lay down, Sousuke,” Makoto says, shooing both children away and hovering over him to gently press his shoulders flat against the floor. He gently moves both of Sousuke’s arms to lay flat at his sides and says, “I’m just going to lift this up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sousuke grunts out. He shivers at the feeling of Makoto’s fingers gracing up the skin of his abdomen as his shirt is pulled up and the brunet mistakes it for pain, hesitating briefly before Sousuke says, “Just hurry up, please.”

“Ah, right,” Makoto says with a nod. He pulls the shirt up as high as it will go and Ren and Ran let out sighs of awe at the sight of red, darkened skin over their beloved coach’s chest.

“Whoa, Ren, you really did that?” Ran asks, giving her brother a proud nudge in the arm. “Do you think I could do that too?”

“You shouldn’t have trained without your padding on,” Makoto chastises him, splaying his warm palm out across the marks. Sousuke turns his head to the side, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, and Makoto retracts his hand with confusion in his eyes. With a shake of his head, he uncaps the water pouch slung across his shoulder and draws out a thin stream of water that spirals gracefully through the air until it curls in on itself like large rippling water disk.

His fingers slip easily into the middle and he lowers his hands onto Sousuke’s chest while his siblings wait with bated breath.

The cooling, soothing feeling is instantaneous and Sousuke feels his chest loosen as he sucks in a relieved breath. Makoto’s face is etched with worry and concentration as he wills the water to spread evenly over the darkened areas on Sousuke’s chest and moments later the water is gleaming lowly.

“Is it helping?” Makoto asks quietly.

“Yeah,” Sousuke says with a nod, exhaling slowly. “Thanks.”

Makoto lets out a held breath and a faint smile spreads again over his lips. “I’m glad. If you hadn’t been more careful, I’m sure Ren would’ve broken a rib or two. He doesn’t know how strong he is sometimes, you know.”

“I think I learned my lesson.” The two teens give Ren a pointed look and he frowns and tries to hide his face as shame begins to redden his cheeks once more. “I’ll make sure not to underestimate you anymore, Ren. You’re going to end up being a pretty scary earthbender.”

“Huh? No fair, what about me?” Ran asks, crossing her arms and giving her brother an envious glower.

“We already know you’re going to be a scary earthbender,” Sousuke assures her. “I think you already are.”

Ran seems pleased enough with the comment. She eagerly hops to her feet and begins to tug her twin up by the arm, urging him to practice with her for a few minutes, and the two of them rush off to the other end of the arena. Ren is able to tug on his helmet just in time to move out of the way of Ren’s pre-meditated attack and she laughs wildly as he starts to fight back.

“I think that should be good,” Makoto says, turning his attention back to Sousuke. “Does it still hurt?”

“Ah, um - well, just a little, so if you could… if you could stay like that for a while more…” He allows his voice to trail off.

“Oh, of course! You’ve trained with them all day. You must be exhausted, anyway,” Makoto says, laughing lightly as he glances over at the pair now exchanging discs back and forth. “They’ve really improved, better than the academy they were enrolled in.”

“They’ve got the talent,” Sousuke says, turning to his students for a moment, but his attention quickly drifts back to the face still hovering over him. He can’t help but think those two kids are lucky to have someone look at them with such whole, genuine love; they’re lucky to have Makoto pour himself into caring for them so diligently and unconditionally, as troublesome as they are. Ren and Ran too - they know how invaluable their older brother is. The thought makes his chest twist again, not because of the bruises this time, as his thoughts drift elsewhere.

“It’s been three weeks already, though. I hope this coaching isn’t interfering with your schedule. I’m sure they’d understand if--”

“It’s fine,” Sousuke interjects quickly. Makoto glances back down at him, eyebrow quirked, and Sousuke goes on to curtly say, “I’ve cut back on my own training anyway. Like you asked. So I’ve got the time.”

Makoto blinks at him a few times before his face fills with unadulterated delight. Sousuke finds himself having to look away to avoid being blinded by the adorable grin that lights the brunet’s face up. “I’m - I’m really happy to hear that, Sousuke.” Sousuke can feel how warm Makoto’s palm is where it rests against his chest - right over his heart. He’s sure the brunet can feel just how loudly and heavily his heart is thudding, but he doesn’t say anything about it.

A few moments later, Makoto finally retracts the water and bends it back into his pouch before helping Sousuke into a sitting position. Although his skin might be a little red there the earlier ache is gone entirely, as is the promise of Makoto’s exceptional healing abilities. He mutters a thank you as Ren and Ran bound over, asking him how he’s feeling.

“If you’re okay, then you can eat with us! We’re going to Narook’s! Have you had water tribe food before, coach?” Ran asks, slipping her hand into Sousuke’s and reaching back for Makoto’s.

“ _Southern_ Water Tribe food,” Ren corrects her. He holds his helmet under his other arm while he reaches up to hold Sousuke’s free hand. “Like where dad is from. Coach, you’ve traveled all over, right? Have you gone to the Southern Water Tribe before?”

“Hm. I haven’t, actually. Have you?” He allows himself to smile lightly at how enthusiastic these two continue to act even after three hours of training with him.

“No, we haven’t. But our big brother says he’s going to take all of us there and we can meet our gran-gran, right Makoto?” Ran swings her and Makoto’s hand between them while she skips forward.

“That’s the plan,” he answers, laughing lightly.

“Coach should go with us, too!” Ren exclaims, his face lighting up with the brilliance of the idea. “You can meet gran-gran, too. And you can eat seal jerky!”

“Seal jerky?” Sousuke repeats, making an exaggerated face at Ren. The idea of going with them doesn’t sound half bad, though. He does wish he had made the time to visit places like that while he was training abroad. Anything, really, that would have made for a different routine from his constant search of bending masters to learn from.

“It’s really good!” Ran says, squeezing his hand and bringing him back down from his thoughts. “And it’s Makoto’s favorite, right big brother?”

“It is, it is. You’ll fall in love with it at first bite, I promise, Sousuke,” he says, chest still rumbling with laughter.

“Yeah, yeah.” Sousuke exchanges glances with both Ren and Ran before he asks, “What’s with you guys holding my hands like this, anyway?”

“Because coach got really hurt today, so we have to walk you and make sure you don’t collapse or anything,” Ran informs him, giggling as she glances up at her brother.

“You make me sound like an old man…”

“You are, aren’t you?” Ran asks, laughing again. Even Ren is doing a terrible job of stifling his snickers, which Sousuke hears. He leans down enough to wrap his arm around the little boy’s waist and heft him up over his shoulder while he lets out his laughter and demands to be saved by Makoto. It takes them a long time just to make it out of the building.

The air is chilly enough that even Ren and Ran cooperated and bundled up in their thick sweaters. They continue to insist on holding Sousuke’s hand as they make their way to the noodlery. As cold as it is, at least his hands are warm. That, and the slightly sore area resting over his heart.

 

 


End file.
